Peelable lid for container with multi-point peel system

ABSTRACT

A peelable lid system includes a peelable lid, a seal configured to seal the peelable lid to a container, a handle coupled to the peelable lid, and a lifting mechanism coupled to handle. The lifting mechanism can be coupled to the peelable lid at a plurality of attachment points, including at least one attachment point coupled to the peelable lid away from the handle. The lifting mechanism can be configured to lift at least one portion of the peelable lid near each of the plurality of attachment points.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/396,048, filed Dec. 30, 2016, which will issue as U.S. Pat. No.10,252,046, on Apr. 9, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/046,778, filed on Feb. 18, 2016, now U.S. Pat.No. 9,533,139, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/458,090, filed on Aug. 12, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,289,590, whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/865,089, filedAug. 12, 2013. Each of those applications is incorporated in this patentapplication by reference.

BACKGROUND

A container can be sealed with a peelable lid to keep the containersealed until a user is ready to break the seal. To break the seal, theuser can pull back on the peelable lid to break the seal and remove thepeelable lid. Peelable lids can be used on flexible containers, such aspouch-type or bag-type containers. Flexible containers can be used tocontain items, such as electrode pads of automated externaldefibrillators (AEDs). In this case, a container with a peelable lid canstore an electrode pad of an AED. When a user wants to use the electrodepad, the user can pull the peelable lid to break the seal with thecontainer and remove the peelable lid to gain access to the electrode.pad. Peelable lids can include features that can assist the user to peeloff the lid. For example, a peelable lid can have a pull tab thatprotrudes out from an edge of the lid. The pull tab can allow a user tomore easily grasp the lid and peel the lid back from the location of thepull tab. A peelable lid can also have multiple pull tabs that protrudeout from different points along the edge of the lid. The pull tabs canallow a user to more easily grasp the lid at different locations andpeel the lid back from one of the pull tab locations at a time. Pulltabs can also be located at other locations, such as on top of the lid.A user can poll a pull tab on the top of a lid upward to remove the lidfrom the container.

SUMMARY

The following summary is provided to introduce a selection of conceptsin a simplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features ofthe claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid indetermining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In at least one embodiment, a peelable lid system can include acontainer, a peelable lid, and a seal between the container and thepeelable lid. The peelable lid system can also include a handle coupledto the peelable lid and a lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism canbe coupled to the handle and coupled to the peelable lid at a pluralityof attachment points.

One of the plurality of attachment points can be coupled to the peelablelid away from the handle. The lifting mechanism can be configured tolift at least one portion of the peelable lid near each of the pluralityof attachment points.

In one example, the plurality of attachment points can include a firstattachment point coupled to a first corner of the peelable lid and asecond attachment point coupled to a second corner of the peelable lid.The handle can be coupled to a side of the peelable lid between thefirst corner and the second corner of the peelable lid The liftingmechanism can be configured such that, when the pull force is applied tothe handle, the first attachment point and the second attachment pointare biased away from the container to curl the side of the peelable lidbetween the first corner and the second corner.

In another example, the at least one of the plurality of attachmentpoints of the lifting mechanism is coupled to the peelable lid near acorner of the peelable lid. The seal can include a corner near thecorner of the peelable lid, where the at least one portion of thepeelable lid is lifted by the at least one of the plurality ofattachment points at the corner of the peelable lid, and where thecorner of the seal is broken when the corner of the peelable lid islifted by the at least one of the plurality of attachment points. Theseal can include a rounded corner near the corner of the peelable lid,where the at least one portion of the peelable lid is lifted by the atleast one of the plurality of attachment points at the corner of thepeelable hid, and where the rounded corner of the seal is broken whenthe corner of the peelable lid is lifted by the at least one of theplurality of attachment points.

In another example, the peelable lid bas a round edge and the seal isround. The handle can be coupled to a first location of the round edge,where the at least one of the plurality of attachment points is coupledto a second location of the round edge, and where a portion of thelifting mechanism between the handle and the at least one of theplurality of attachment points is located along the round edge betweenthe first location and the second location. In other examples, the sealcan include one or more of an adhesive, glue, epoxy, a mechanical bond,or a polymer bond, and the container can include one or more of a rigidcontainer or a compliant container. The lifting mechanism can also beconfigured such that the pull force is transferred to the seal in atleast two different locations.

In another embodiment, a peelable lid can include a lid configured tocover an opening of a container, a handle coupled to the seal, and alifting mechanism coupled to the handle. The lifting mechanism caninclude at least one attachment point coupled to the peelable lid awayfrom the handle. In response to a pull force being applied to the handlewhen the lid is sealed to the container, the lifting mechanism isconfigured to lift at least one portion of the lid near the at least.one attachment point.

In one example, the lifting mechanism comprises a compliant mechanism.The compliant mechanism can be integrally formed with the handle. Inanother example, the lifting mechanism comprises a plurality of linkscoupled via at least one pivot joint. The plurality of links can includea first link coupled to the handle and a second link comprising the atleast one attachment point. The first link and the second link can becoupled via a first pivot joint. The plurality of links can also includea third link coupled to the first link via a second pivot joint.

In another example, the lifting mechanism can be configured such thatthe pull force can be transferred to the seal at a first location in afirst direction that is different from a second direction of the pullforce transferred to the seal at a second location. The first directioncan be substantially perpendicular to a side of the lid, and the seconddirection can be not substantially perpendicular to the side of the lid.In another example, the lid can include one or more layers that caninclude at least one of a paper layer, a wax layer, a metallic foil, ora polymer film.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of an embodiment of a system with apeelable lid on a container, where a handle and a lifting mechanism ofthe peelable lid are at rest.

FIG. 2 depicts another perspective view of the embodiment of the systemdepicted in FIG. 1 with a pull force being exerted on the handle of thepeelable lid.

FIG. 3 depicts another perspective view of the embodiment of the systemdepicted in FIG. 1 with the handle of the peelable lid pulled back topartially remove the peelable lid from the container.

FIG. 4 depicts a top view of the embodiment of the system depicted inFIG. 1 .

FIG. 5 depicts a top view of an embodiment of a system with a containerhaving a peelable lid with a handle and a lifting mechanism.

FIG. 6 depicts a top view of an embodiment of a system with a containerhaving a rectangular peelable lid with a handle and a lifting mechanism.

FIG. 7 depicts a top view of an embodiment of a system with a containerhaving a round peelable lid with a handle and a lifting mechanism.

FIG. 8 depicts a top view of another embodiment of a system with acontainer having a round peelable lid with a handle and a liftingmechanism.

FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view of an embodiment of a system with acontainer having a round peelable lid with a handle and athree-bar-linkage lifting mechanism, where the handle and thethree-bar-linkage lifting mechanism are at rest.

FIG. 10 depicts another perspective view of the embodiment of the systemdepicted in FIG. 9 with a pull force being exerted on the handle of thepeelable lid.

FIGS. 11A to 11G depict, respectively, a perspective view, a front view,a back view, a top view, a bottom view, a right side view, and a leftside view of an embodiment of an automated external defibrillator (AED)with a cover in an opened position.

FIGS. 12A to 12G depict, respectively, a perspective view, a front view,a back View, a top view, a bottom view, a right side view, and a leftside view of the embodiment of the AED from FIGS. 11A to 11G with thecover in a closed position.

FIGS. 13A to 13G depict, respectively, a perspective view, a front view,a back view, a top view, a bottom view, a right side view, and a leftside view of an electrode tray that can be used in an AED, such as theAED depicted in FIGS. 11A to 11G and FIGS. 12A to 12G.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Removing peelable container lids by pulling on a pull tab can pose anumber of problems. In one example, as a user pulls a pull tab of apeelable container lid, the pull force can cause the lid to tear nearthe pull tab. Such a tear can result in the pull tab being removed fromthe rest of the lid or otherwise rendered inoperable while a portion ofthe lid remains attached to the container. The user can remove theremaining portion of the lid; however, this extra step can add to thetime and complexity required to remove the entire lid from thecontainer. Tearing can be particularly problematic where a strongadhesive is used to seal the lid to the container. A strong adhesive canrequire greater pull force to peel back the lid, increasing thepossibility that the pull force will exceed the tensile strength of thepull tab material and/or lid material before the lid is properly peeledback from the container.

In another example, pull tabs on peelable container lids are typicallydesigned to be pulled in a specific direction to properly peel the lidoff the container. A pull tab on a round lid can be designed to bepulled toward the center of the lid. Similarly, a pull tab on a cornerof a rectangular lid can be designed to be polled diagonally across thelid. Because the pull tab is designed to be pulled in one direction, thecontainer may need to be reoriented for a user to be able to properlypull the pull tab. However, there are times when the container cannot beeasily reoriented or when pulling a particular direction is notconvenient for the user. For example, it may be desirable to allow auser to pull from a side of a rectangular lid, but the strength of theadhesive between the lid and the container is typically too great for apull tab to be pulled perpendicular to the side.

To address some of the problems with traditional peelable lids, apeelable lid handle can be provided that transmits pull force on thehandle to pull force at two or more different locations along the lid.FIGS. 1 to 4 depict an example of a peelable lid system that has apeelable lid 102 covering an opening of a container 104. The peelablelid 102 can be made out of any number of materials, such as paper, wax,metallic foils, polymer films, and the like. In some cases, the peelablelid 102 can have multiple layers, such as a layer of wax over a metallicfilm layer and a layer of paper over the layer of wax. Any number ofother materials and/or combination of materials can be used to form thepeelable lid 102. The peelable lid 102 can be sealed to the container104 via a seal 106, as indicated by dashed lines in the figures.

The container 104 can be a rigid container, such as a hard plasticcontainer, a metal container, and the like. The container 104 can alsobe a compliant container, such as a paper or plastic packet, a flexibleplastic, and the like. The seal 106 can be made using an adhesive, suchas glue, epoxy, or any other type of adhesive. The seal 106 can also bea physical bond, such as a polymer bond that has been created by meltinga polymer onto the container.

In one example, the peelable lid 102 can have a metallic foil layer anda polymer layer. To create the seal, the metallic foil layer can beheated which causes the polymer layer to also heat up. Some of thepolymer from the heated polymer layer can flow from the lid 102 onto thecontainer 104. When the polymer layer cools, the polymer from thepolymer layer forms a bond between the lid 102 and the container 104.

A handle 108 can be coupled to the lid 102. The handle 108 can be madeof any type of material, including rigid materials and/or compliantmaterials. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , the handle 108 caninclude a bole 110 that aids a user in grasping the handle 108. However,the handle 108 can have any other form, such as the form of a pull tabwithout a hole.

The handle 108 can be coupled to a lifting mechanism 112. In someembodiments, the lifting mechanism 112 can be an integrally-formed partof the handle 108. In other embodiments, the lifting mechanism 112 canbe a separate part that is coupled to the handle 108. In the embodimentshown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , the lifting mechanism 112 is a compliantmechanism. In other embodiments, the lifting mechanism 112 can haverigid Segments connected via pivot joints, such as a three-bar linkage,as discussed in greater detail below.

The handle 108 can have a color that is different from a color of thelid 102 and/or the container 104. For example, a handle 108 that isbrighter in color than the lid 102 and/or the container 104 (e.g., anorange or yellow handle 108 with a gray or white lid 102) can provide auser with a visual cue that the lid 102 can be opened by pulling on thehandle 108. Such a visual cue can help in speeding the process of a userto identify the handle 108 and in reducing the likelihood of user errorin peeling back the lid 102.

The handle 108 can be coupled to the lid 102 in one location. Thelifting mechanism 112 can be coupled to the lid 102 in at least oneother location. The lifting mechanism can be coupled to the lid 102using any type of fastener or fastening material, such as a rivet, asnap, or an adhesive. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 to 4 ,lifting mechanism 112 is coupled to the lid 102 at two locations: afirst attachment point 116 of the lifting mechanism 112 and a secondattachment point 118 of the lifting mechanism 112. The handle 108 can bepulled to break the seal 106 and peel the lid 102 away from thecontainer 104. Because the handle 108 is coupled to the lid 102 at afirst location 114, a pull force on the handle 108 will be transferredto a pull force at the first location 114 along the seal 106. In theembodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 to 4 , the first location 114 is along aside of the lid 102. The first location 114 can be a point location onthe side of the lid 102 or a particular length along the side of the lid102. The lifting mechanism 112 can be configured such that, when a pullforce is exerted on the handle 108, the first end 116 and the secondattachment point 118 of the lifting mechanism 112 are biased away fromthe container 104. As shown in FIG. 2 , the biasing of the firstattachment point 116 and the second attachment point 118 causes the lid102 to be lifted away from the container 104 and the points where thefirst attachment point 116 and the second attachment point 118 arecoupled to the lid 102. The lifting of the lid 102 transfers the pullforce of the handle 108 to a second location 120 along the seal 106 anda third location 122 along the seal 106. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2 , asthe handle 108 is pulled, the pull force is transferred to the firstlocation 114, the second location 120, and the third location 122.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the lid 102 will begin to peel from the container104 as the pull force continues to be exerted on the handle 108. Thelifting mechanism 112 can continue to bend such that the side of the lid102 is peeled from the container 104 at the second location 120 and thethird location 122. This bending motion can cause the seal 106 to breakstarting at each of the second location 120 and the third location 122.The breaks in the seal 106 can progress from the second location 120toward the first location 114 and from the third location 122 toward thefirst location 114. The pull force can also cause the seal 106 to breakat the first location 114. The breaking of the seal 106 at multiplelocations makes it easier for a user to peel the lid 102 back from thecontainer 104. In one example, the user can pull the handle 108 with onehand in one direction while pull force is transferred to multiple pointsalong the seal 106 to begin peeling the lid 102 from multiple locations.Once the lid 102 begins peeling back from the container 104, as shown inFIG. 3 , the user can continue pulling the handle 108 until the lid 102is completely peeled off of the container 104.

The combination of the lifting mechanism 112 and the handle 108 allowsfor the handle 108 to be pulled in a direction that the lid 102 couldnot easily be peeled without the aid of the lifting mechanism 112. Forexample, if the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 to 4 did not include thelifting mechanism 112, it would be difficult for a user to start peelingthe lid 102 from the container 104 by pulling the handle 108 in adirection perpendicular to the side of the lid 102 With the liftingmechanism 112 in the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 to 4 , pulling thehandle 108 perpendicular to the side of the lid 102 results in a pullforce at each of the first location 114, the second location 120, andthe third location 122. At the first location 114, the pull force may besubstantially perpendicular to the side, but the pull force at thesecond location 120 and the third location 120 can be in anon-perpendicular direction, as in shown in FIG. 4 . For example, thepull force at the second location 120 can be in a first direction 124that runs substantially diagonal across the lid 102. In another example,the pull force at the third location 122 can be in a second direction126 that runs substantially diagonal across the lid 102. The pull forceat the second location 120 and the third location 120 can be in otherdirections that are not perpendicular to the side of the lid 102.

In practice, the pull force at the second location 120 and the pullforce at the third location 122 can cause the lid 102 to begin peelingat the second location 120 and the third location 122 before the lid 102begins to peel from the first location 114. If the lid 102 begins topeel from the second location 120 and the third location 122 beforepeeling at the first location 114, the force that would be required tobegin peeing the lid from the first location 114 can be lower than theforce required to begin peeling the lid 102 at the first location 114without the aid of the lifting mechanism 114.

Having the option to pull the lid 102 in one direction (e.g.,substantially perpendicular to the lid 102) while causing the lid 102 topeel in a different direction (e.g., in diagonal directions 124 and 126)can reduce the need for a user to reorient the container 104 to peel thelid 102 off of the container 104. For example, it may be difficult orinconvenient for a user to pull from a corner of the lid 102. Being ableto remove the lid 102 by pulling the handle 108 from the side of the lid102 can prevent a user from having to reorient the container 104 to beable to pull from a corner of the lid 102. Moreover, being able to causepull force at multiple locations along the seal 106 with one action ofpulling the handle 108 can add to the speed with which the lid 102 isremoved from the container 104. The speed with which a hid 102 isremoved from the container 104 can be important in certain instances,such as in the case of removing a peelable lid that covers an electrodetray of an automated external defibrillator (AED), as is described inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/457,942, filed Aug. 12, 2014, thecontents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

In the particular situation with an AED, users typically use an AED inemergency situations, such as when a patient is undergoing a cardiacarrhythmia. In such cases, reducing the time of administering AEDtreatment increases the probability that the patient will survive andthe probability that the patient will not experience significant injury.Users are typically experiencing some level of stress and urgency inthese situations. Thus, the ability to remove peelable lids from AEDcomponents (e.g., electrode trays, electrode pads, etc.) easily,efficiently, and completely provides a significant advantage in AEDtreatment. Moreover, it can be advantageous to use seals with certainAED components. Self-adhesive AED electrode pads typically include a gelthat functions to adhere the electrode pads to the user's chest and toestablish an electrical connection between the electrodes on theelectrode pads and the user's chest. The gel on AED electrode pads candry out over time, rendering the AED electrode pads ineffective orcompletely unusable. To reduce the speed of gel drying out on AEDelectrode pads, the electrode and gel side of many AED electrode padsare sealed before they are used. AEDs can include an electrode tray thathouses the AED electrode pads, and the entire electrode tray can besealed to further reduce the speed of gel drying out on AED electrodepads: Peelable lids can come in any number of other arrangements orforms.

FIGS. 5 to 8 depict some embodiments of peelable lids. FIG. 5 depicts atop view of an embodiment of a lid 202 that is sealed to a container(not shown) via a seal 204. The lid 202 has a generally rectangularshape. A first corner 206 and a second corner 208 of the lid 202 aresquare and a third corner 210 and a forth corner 212 of the lid arerounded. The seal 204 is also substantially rectangular in shape withrounded comers. Coupled to the lid 202 are a handle 214 and a liftingmechanism 216. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5 , the liftingmechanism 216 extends from the handle 214 to a first attachment point222 near the first corner 206 bot does not extend from the handle 214 tothe second corner 208. The lifting mechanism 216 is also attached to thelid 202 at a second attachment point 224 near the handle 214. When thehandle 214 is pulled, the end of the lifting mechanism 216 near thefirst corner 206 is biased away from the container. In this way, thepull force on the handle 214 is transferred to a poll force at a firstlocation 218 on the seal 204 near the handle 214 and to a pull force ata second location 220 on the seal 204 near the first corner 206. Eventhough the lifting mechanism 216 does not extend to second corner 208,pulling the handle 214 still results a pull force at multiple locations:the first location 218 and the second location 220.

FIG. 6 depicts a top view of an embodiment of a lid 302 that is sealedto a container (not shown) via a seal 304. The lid 302 has a generallyrectangular shape with a first corner 306, a second corner 308, a thirdcorner 310, and a fourth corner 312 that are square. The seal 304 isalso substantially rectangular in shape with square corners. Coupled tothe lid 302 are a handle 314 and a lifting mechanism 316. The liftingmechanism 316 is coupled to the lid 302 at a first attachment point 320and a second attachment point 322. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, the lifting mechanism 316 extends from the first attachment point 320near the first corner 306 to the second attachment point 322 near thesecond corner 308. When the handle 314 is pulled, the end of the liftingmechanism 316 near the first corner 300 is biased away from thecontainer. In this way, the pull force on the handle 314 is transferredto a pull force at a first location 318 on the seal 304 near the handle314, to a pull force at a second location on the seal 304 near the firstcorner 306, and to a pull force at a third location on the seal 304 nearthe second corner 308.

It can be easier to break a seal between a lid and a container at alocation where the seal comes to a corner than at other locations, suchas at a straight portion (e.g., the first location 218 on seal 204 inFIG. 5 ) or at a curved portion (e.g., the second location 220 on seal204). Some peelable lids, such as the lid 202, have a square corner,such as the first corner 206, when the seal under the square corner isrounded, such as the portion of the seal 204 at location 220. Thisconfiguration allows a user to better grasp the first corner 206 to useit as a pull tab to peel back the lid 202.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 , the seal 304 near the first corner306 has a square corner. Since the lifting mechanism 316 lifts thecorner 306 when the handle 314 is pulled, there is no need for the userto be able to better grasp the first corner 306 to use it as a pull tab.Thus, there is no drawback to the seal 304 having a square corner nearthe first corner 306. In addition, having a square corner on the seal304 near the first corner 306 can be easier to break than a roundedcorner at the same location.

FIG. 7 depicts a top view of an embodiment of a lid 402 that is sealedto a container (not shown) via a seal 404. The lid 402 has a generallyround shape. While the particular embodiment of the lid 402 is a circle,other round shapes are possible, such as ovals, ellipses, irregularround shapes, and the like. The seal 404 also has a generally roundshape. Coupled to the lid 402 are a handle 406 and a lifting mechanism408. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 7 , the lifting mechanism 408 iscoupled to the lid 402 at a first attachment point 410 and a secondattachment point 412. The lifting mechanism 408 is located along theedge of the lid 402 between the first attachment point 410 and thesecond attachment point 412. When the handle 406 is pulled, the firstattachment point 410 and the second attachment point 412 of the liftingmechanism 408 are biased away from the container. In this way, the pullforce on the handle 406 is transferred to a pull force at a firstlocation on the seal 404 near the handle 406, to a pull force at asecond location on the seal 404 near the first attachment point 410 ofthe lifting mechanism 408, and to a pull force at a third location onthe seal 404 near the second attachment point 412 of the liftingmechanism 408.

FIG. 8 depicts a top view of an embodiment of a lid 502 that is sealedto a container (not shown) via a seal 504. The lid 502 has a generallyround shape. While the particular embodiment of the lid 502 is a circle,other round shapes are possible, such as ovals, ellipses, irregularround shapes, and the like. The seal 504 also has a generally roundshape. Coupled to the lid 502 are a handle 506 and a lifting mechanism508. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 8 , the lifting mechanism 508 iscoupled to the lid 502 at a first attachment point 510. The liftingmechanism 508 is located along the edge of the lid 502 between the firstend 510 and the handle 506. When the handle 506 is pulled, the firstattachment point 510 of the lifting mechanism 508 is biased away fromthe container. In this way, the pull force on the handle 506 istransferred to a pull force at a first location on the seal 504 near thehandle 506 and to a pull force at a second location on the seal 504 nearthe first attachment point 510 of the lifting mechanism 508.

Another embodiment of a peelable lid system is depicted in FIGS. 9 and10 . A peelable lid 602 is sealed to a container 604 via a seal 606. Ahandle 608 and a lifting mechanism 610 are coupled to the lid 602. Thelifting mechanism 610 is coupled to the lid 602 at a first attachmentpoint 618 and a second attachment point 620. The lifting mechanism 610is in the form of a three-bar linkage with a first link 614, a portionof the handle 608, and a second link 616. The first link 614 is coupledto the portion of the handle 608 vis a first pivot joint 612 and theportion of the handle 608 is coupled to the second link 616 via a secondpivot joint 612. The pivot joints 612 can be any type of pivot joints,such as hinges, compliant materials, and the like. The first link 614and the second link 616 can be rigid or semi-rigid links. The portion ofthe handle 608 can operate as a third link to form a three-bar linkagewith the first link 614 and the second link 616. Alternatively, a thirdlink could be located between the first pivot joint 612 and the secondpivot joint 612, and the handle 608 could be coupled to one of the firstlink 614, the second link 616, and the third link located between thepivot joints 612.

As depicted in FIG. 9 , the first link 614 and the second link 616 inthe lifting mechanism 610 can be substantially co-linear when the systemis at rest (e.g., when no pull force is applied to the handle 608). Asis depicted in FIG. 10 , the lifting mechanism 610 can be configuredsuch that, when a pull force is applied to the handle 608, the firstlink 616 rotates about the first pivot joint 612 to lift a first portionof the lid 602 and the second link 616 rotates about the second pivotjoint 612 to lift a second portion of the lid 602. The lifted portionsof the lid 602 can cause a pull force to be exerted on the seal 606 tobegin breaking the seal 606 and to begin peeling the lid 602 away fromthe container 604. The three-bar linkage lifting mechanism 610 depictedin FIGS. 9 and 10 can operate in similar ways to the operation of thecompliant mechanism lifting mechanism 112 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 4 .

As mentioned above, peelable lids can be used to cover electrode traysof AEDs. FIGS. 11A to 11G and 12A to 12G depict various views of anembodiment of a design of an AED 700 that has a cover 710. Morespecifically, FIGS. 11A to 11G depict, respectively, a perspective view,a front view, a back view, a top view, a bottom view, a right side view,and a left side view of the AED 700 with the cover 710 in an openedposition. FIGS. 12A to 12G depict, respectively, a perspective view, afront view, a back view, a top view, a bottom view, a right side view,and a left side view of the AED 700 with the cover 710 in a closedposition.

With the cover 710 is in the opened position, as shown in FIGS. 11A to11G, a peelable lid 720 that covers an electrode tray is depicted. Theelectrode tray can be located in a base portion 730 of the AED 700. Touse the AED 700, a user can open the cover 710 by moving the cover 710from the position shown in FIG. 12A to the position shown in FIG. 11A.At that point, the user can pull a handle 721 of the peelable lid 720.As described above, the peelable lid 720 can include a lifting mechanismthat causes the pull force on the handle 720 to be transferred to atleast two different locations where the peelable lid 720 is sealed tothe electrode tray, increasing the likelihood that the entire peelablelid 720 can be removed by the user with a single pull of the handle 721.The user can continue pulling the handle 721 until the peelable lid 720is removed from the electrode tray. The electrode tray can includeelectrode pads that can be applied to a patient's skin before performingtreatment with the AED. Increasing the likelihood that the entirepeelable lid 720 can be removed by the user with a single pull of thehandle 721 can decrease the amount of time that a user spends preparingthe patient for AED treatment and increase the probability that AEDtreatment will prevent permanent injury to or death of the patient.

FIGS. 13A to 13G depict, respectively, a perspective view, a front view,a back view, a top view, a bottom view, a right side view, and a leftside view of an electrode tray 740 that can be used in an AED, such asthe AED 700 depicted in FIGS. 11A to 11G and FIGS. 12A to 12G. Theelectrode tray 740 includes a tray 750 that is covered by the lid 720with the handle 721.

It should be noted that for purposes of this disclosure, terminologysuch as “upper” and “lower,” should be construed as descriptive and notlimiting the scope of the claimed subject matter. Further, the use of“including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein ismeant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereofas well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms“connected” and “coupled,” and variations thereof herein are usedbroadly and encompass direct and indirect connections and couplings.

The principles, representative embodiments, and modes of operation ofthe present disclosure have been described in the foregoing description.However, aspects of the present disclosure which are intended to beprotected are not to be construed as limited to the particularembodiments disclosed. Further, the embodiments described herein are tobe regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. It will beappreciated that variations and changes may be made by others, andequivalents employed, without departing from the spirit of the presentdisclosure. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that all suchvariations, changes, and equivalents fall within the spirit and scope ofthe present disclosure, as claimed.

What is claimed is:
 1. An automated external defibrillator (AED)comprising: a container containing electrode pads; a lid covering thecontainer; and a handle with a lifting mechanism coupled to the lid at afirst attachment point and at a second attachment point, wherein thelifting mechanism is an integrally-formed part of the handle and islocated along an edge of the lid between the first attachment point andthe second attachment point.
 2. The AED of claim 1, wherein the handleis a different color than the lid.
 3. The AED of claim 1, wherein thehandle is a different color than the container.
 4. The AED of claim 1,wherein the container is located in a base portion of the AED.
 5. TheAED of claim 1, wherein the lid has a rectangular shape with roundedcorners.
 6. The AED of claim 1, wherein the edge is a round edge.
 7. TheAED of claim 1, wherein the lifting mechanism is coupled to the lid viafasteners.
 8. The AED of claim 1, wherein the handle is at a side of thelid between a first corner of the lid and a second corner of the lid. 9.The AED of claim 1, wherein: the first attachment point is spaced apartfrom the handle; and the second attachment point is spaced apart fromthe handle.
 10. An assembly for use with an automated externaldefibrillator (AED), the assembly comprising: a container containingelectrode pads; a lid covering the container; and a handle with alifting mechanism coupled to the lid at a first attachment point and ata second attachment point, wherein the lifting mechanism is anintegrally-formed part of the handle and is located along an edge of thelid between the first attachment point and the second attachment point.11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the container is configured to belocated in a base portion of the AED.
 12. The assembly of claim 10,wherein, when a pull force is applied to the handle, the liftingmechanism is configured to transfer the pull force to the lid at thefirst attachment point and at the second attachment point.
 13. Theassembly of claim 10, wherein the container is a rigid container. 14.The assembly of claim 10, wherein the electrode pads are sealed withinthe container.
 15. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the handle is adifferent color than the lid.
 16. The assembly of claim 10, wherein thelid has a rectangular shape with rounded corners.
 17. The assembly ofclaim 10, wherein the edge is a round edge.
 18. The assembly of claim10, wherein the lifting mechanism is separate from the lid.
 19. Theassembly of claim 10, wherein the lifting mechanism is coupled to thelid via fasteners.
 20. The assembly of claim 10, wherein: the firstattachment point is spaced apart from the handle; and the secondattachment point is spaced apart from the handle.